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Atlantis exhibit opens at Kennedy Space Center

Two years after its final mission, Space Shuttle Atlantis is now ready for visitors.

Visitors will fly through the history of space shuttle flights before coming nose-to-nose with Atlantis.

"What they'll see coming out is pretty much what I saw in my first space walk," Astronaut Jim Reilly said. "That was when I laid back and looked past the tail and saw the Earth going by below."

As the universe flies by on an immense backdrop, visitors can see every scorch and scar on Atlantis with its dramatic size.

"We want people to feel hope and aspiration. We want to inspire young visitors to become part of whatever is next," Mousetrappe Media representative Darren Ulmer said.

The booster rockets and external fuel tank can be seen before entering the building. There's also a full-size replica of the Hubble Space Telescope, a space toilet complete with instructions, and a landing slide to give visitors an idea of what it felt like when the shuttle touched down.

Sonic booms can also be heard, but it all comes back to the history-making, awe-inspiring spaceship.

As one of the premiere attractions in Central Florida, Atlantis is expected to bring tens of thousands of new visitors to the area, as well as 350 jobs.

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